Courses

ALS - Advanced Life Support (2 days)

The Resuscitation Council (UK) Advanced Life Support (ALS) course was launched 1993. It is a standardised national course teaching evidence-based resuscitation guidelines and skills to healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom. The ALS course has also been adopted by the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) and the Australian Resuscitation Council (ARC).

Each year, on average, 1,000 courses are held and 20,000 healthcare professionals are trained.

Who is this course suitable for?The ALS provider course is designed for healthcare professionals who would be expected to apply the skills taught as part of their clinical duties, or to teach them on a regular basis. Appropriate participants include doctors, paramedics and nurses working in acute care areas (e.g. ED, CCU, ICU, HDU, operating theatres, acute medical admissions units) or on resuscitation /medical emergency/ICU outreach teams. All applicants must hold a professional healthcare qualification or be in training for a professional healthcare qualification. Medical students, nurses and other healthcare providers not covered in the groups above should be encouraged to complete the Immediate Life Support (ILS) course. Those with a particular interest in resuscitation should then consider attending an ALS provider course, where appropriate. Medical students in their final year of training can be accepted as candidates on an ALS course if this is an established local arrangement.

Assessment and CertificationContinuous assessment occurs throughout the ALS course, which is based on clinical simulations that allow candidates to demonstrate the core competencies that have been taught on the course. These include airway management, high quality CPR and defibrillation and cardiac arrest management. A final assessment of candidates at the end of the course takes the form of management of a cardiac arrest simulation and a MCQ paper. Successful candidates receive a Resuscitation Council (UK) ALS provider certificate, which is valid for 4 years. The ALS course is recognised for up to 10 continuing professional development (CPD) points.

Pre-course preparationThe course manual is sent to candidates one month before the course. Candidates are expected to have prepared for the course by reading the manual and submitting their completed pre-course MCQ paper before attending the face-to-face course. Candidates are advised to complete the pre-course MCQ without reference to the manual. Candidates are also given access to e-learning materials on the LMS. For those candidates attending the e-ALS course, the e-learning content replaces the first day of the 2-day course and they must access and undertake the e-learning component before attending the face-to-face element of the course. Prior competence in CPR is an essential prerequisite to attending the course.

ALS courses are held throughout the year at centres across the UK. To apply, candidates should search for a course below (alternatively ALS, e-ALS or ALS recertification) and contact individual course centres for application details.

Course fees are decided locally by the course centre; the Resuscitation Council (UK) only charges the course centre £26 per candidate registration and £28 per ALS manual. For further information on any aspect of the course, please contact the ALS Co-ordinators at ALS@resus.org.uk.

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The RC (UK) develops guidelines, standards and educational materials for resuscitation but does not organise or run resuscitation courses; these are run locally by course centres. If you cannot find a suitable course listed here, we would advise you to contact centres in the region directly.